A growing interest in low earth orbit satellites having a small form factor has led to an increase in both launches of the vehicles and the recognition that earlier techniques for manufacturing and control thereof are inadequate because of the specialized size and weight criteria of a typical cubesat. While standardized to some extent, significant variations in design have taken hold in this industry.
Due to their smaller size, cubesats generally cost less to build and deploy into orbit above the Earth. As a result, cubesats present opportunities for educational institutions, governments, and commercial entities to launch and deploy cubesats for a variety of purposes with fewer costs compared to traditional, large satellites.